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CofC Consumer Health 225 Final

Terms in this set (72)

Fallacy: People should decrease their weight to be healthy.
You can be healthy and fat, or unhealthy and skinny.
Fallacy: Everyone should reduce their sodium consumption.
Some people can actually experience worse symptoms from not getting enough sodium.
Fallacy: Organic foods are always superior to conventionally grown foods.
Not super regulated; organic chips and sugars are still bad.
Fallacy: It is important for most people to eat foods that gluten free.
Only 1% of Americans have celiac and "wheat intolerance" isn't necessarily a thing.
Fallacy: Fresh is always better than canned or frozen.
Frozen can have more antioxidants.
Fallacy: Everyone should take a vitamin supplement everyday.
Supplements don't work as well as getting those in food and taking them can increase mortality risks.
Fallacy: Everyone needs 64 ounces of water everyday.
Hyponatremia; amount adjusted on individual basis (exercise level, temp, body size, etc).
Fallacy: Cleansing is an important way to detoxify the body.
Can cause fatigue, upset stomach/bowel, and is not supported by medical science.
What federal governmental agencies are tasked with protecting consumers from fraudulent practices and products and what are the specific jobs of these agencies?
-US Federal Trade Commission, -Consumer Product Safety Commission, -Food and Drug Act, -Environmental Protection Agency, -US Department of Agriculture, US Postal Inspection Service, and NGOs.
US Federal Trade Commission
Regulates advertising (issues regulations to protect against misleading ads, can order corrective statements for advertisements, etc).
Consumer Safety Product Commission
Develops, issues, enforces, and educates on consumer products (recalls, industry standards, etc).
Food and Drug Act
Assures safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation (accurate labeling of prescription drugs, etc). *cannot regulate advertising, alcohol, drugs without medical uses, blood/tissue products, health insurance, pesticides, restaurants/grocery stores and non-bottled water*
Environmental Protection Agency
To protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment- air, water, and land- upon which life depends (regulates pesticide use, Safe Drinking Water Act, Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, etc).
US Department of Agriculture
Provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management (food stamps, Food Safety and Inspection Service, tips for food-related questions).
US Postal Inspection Service
Works with FBI and police to fight criminals who attack the nation's postal service aka those who use it to defraud, endanger, or threaten the public (Mail fraud, charity fraud, ID theft, smuggled items, etc).
NGOs
Non-governmental organizations. Examples include: BBB (Better Business Bureau), Consumer Union (consumer reports), National Consumers League (fraud center), etc.
Why has the FDA been criticized for not doing enough for the consumer?
Being reactive instead of proactive and preventative.
What is the role of non-governmental agencies in protecting consumers?
Cover incidents not recognized or researched by governmental services, specialize allowing them to oversee a lot of issues/complaints more efficiently by focusing in one area.
Which CAM practices and products were covered? What validity does each have? What are the downsides to CAM?
Urine therapy (invalid for curing everything, might help some issues because of antifungal/antibacterial/antiviral properties);
Chiropractic Alignments (can be scams, "mixing" w/ other measures typically more valid practice);
Acupuncture (studies are controversial but WHO supports for body pains, headaches, etc);
Reflexology (not medically sound);
Prayer/Faith healing (not medically sound).
What is the importance of the placebo effect in CAM?
You feel better, but are you really better?
Myth One:
Doing crunches or working on an "ab machine" will give you a six-pack and get rid of belly fat. Being able to see the abdominal muscles has to do with how much fat is on the belly area. Abdominal exercises can strengthen the muscles under the fat .You can't pick and choose where you would like to burn fat. Spot reduction is not possible through exercise. Aerobic type exercise is more likely to provide the calorie burn needed to lose fat on the body (provided calorie intake is less than expenditure)
Myth Two
If you're not working up a sweat, you're not working hard enough. Sweat production is a function of cooling, not intensity of workout/ Heart rate and breathing rate are better indicators of intensity. Any weight lost through sweating will be regained when the exerciser drinks to replace fluids.
Myth Three
When you stop weight training, muscles turn into fat.
Can you turn lead into gold?
When you stop training, you lose muscle mass, which in turn slows your metabolism.
Slower metabolism in turn can cause weight (fat) gain when you stop working out.
Continuing to eat the same amount adds to this phenomenon.
Myth Four
Sex is a great workout.
Highly active sex burns about the same amount of calories as walking moderately.
It is usually over after about six minutes.
Not to say it doesn't count for something, but it should not be considered adequate exercise.
Myth Five
Running causes arthritis.
Recent large studies show no connection between running and knee arthritis.
Overall walking and running causes the same amount of stress on the cartilage of the knees.
Each running footfall produces 8x as much pressure as each walking footfall but runner's feet spend less time on the ground and because the stride is longer, fewer footfalls occur in running.
Other issues such as patellofemoral pain syndrome do seem to be related to running.
Myth Six
If you can't exercise for at least 30 minutes at a time, there is no reason to exercise at all.
Studies show similar benefits for shorter 10-15 minute workout sessions as long as they add up to 30-60 minutes per day.
Shorter sessions may be more natural for humans. Some may be more motivated to exercise if they only have to do 10 minutes at the time. Examples: 15 minute brisk walk with your dog at 7am; 10 minute stationary bike ride at lunch break; 10 minutes of push ups, triceps dips, squats, lunges at 5pm while watching TV; 10 minute walk after dinner.
What issues face the elderly in modern times?
Lifespan has increased; average age of retirement is 61, lifespan well beyond when paychecks end.
What other issues do the elderly face?
Safety issues such as falling, driving, medication overdose, suicide, mental illness, STIs, income inequality, social stigma of aging, scams, dementia, end of life considerations.
What are common myths about hospice care?
-it's only for the elderly
-it's time consuming
-it's expensive
-it's a place
-it means the patient will soon die
-families will have to pay for hospice care
-patients must give up their doctor
-hospice is only for cancer patients
-can only receive care for a limited amount of time
-hospice is just for the patient
-hospice provides 24 hour care
How are OTC and RX drugs approved by the FDA?
Investigator IND is submitted by a physician who both initiates and conducts an investigation, and under whose immediate direction the investigational drug is administered or dispensed. A physician might submit a research IND to propose studying an unapproved drug, or an approved product for a new indication or in a new patient population.
How are RX drugs approved by the FDA?
The physician must submit an IND to the FDA to study/investigate an unapproved drug or an approved drug for a new indication or a new population.
What is an Emergency IND?
It allows the FDA to allow the use of an experimental drug in an emergency situation that does not allow time for submission of an IND in accordance with guidelines.
What is a treatment IND?
It is submitted for experimental drugs showing promise in clinical testing for serious or immediately life threatening situation while the final clinical work is conducted and the FDA review takes place.
INDs must have...
-Preclinical data to test whether the product is reasonably safe for initial testing in humans.
-Information pertaining to the composition, manufacturing, stability, and controls used for the manufacturing the drug substance and the drug product.
-Clinical protocols and investigator information.
OTC drugs generally have these characteristics:
-benefits outweigh risks
-potential for misuse and abuse is low
-consumer can use them for self diagnosed conditions
-can be adequately labeled
-health practitioners aren't needed for the safe use of the product
What are the common ways people misuse/abuse OTC drugs?
-overdose
-not following directions
-mixing with alcohol
What are the common ways people misuse/abuse RX drugs?
-use of someone else's drugs
-not taking the right dosage
-not finishing the prescription
What is the history of antibiotics?
-Sulfonamide drugs were the first microbial drugs.
-Sulfa drugs inhibit growth and multiplication of bacteria, but don't kill them.
-Alexander Fleming discovered first antibiotic drug (penicillin) in 1928.
-1940s: widespread use transforms medicine and greatly reduced deaths from infection.
What is important about MRSA?
-A type of bacteria that may cause sickness or infection
-Antibiotic resistant
-Hard to treat
-A person doesn't have to show symptoms to spread it
-Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aures
-Lives on the skin
What is important about CRE?
-Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaseae
-Often resistant to multiple classes of microbials, limiting treatment options.
-Infections caused by these organisms are associated with high mortality rates, up to 50%.
-Many possess Carbapenem Masis which can be transmitted from one enterobacteriaseae to another potentially facilitating transmission of resistance.
-This enterobacteriasease are common causes of infection in both community and healthcare settings.
How can consumers reduce the incidence of antibiotic resistance?
-Take all of their antibiotics.
- Do NOT ask for antibiotics if you have a viral infection.
-Do not save them.
-Practice good hygiene and hand-washing.
Why is antibiotic development dwindling?
-It is really difficult to find, they are rare and resistant.
Which STI strains are antibiotic resistant?
-Gonorrhea
-Resistant strains of gonorrhea are common in Europe and Asia and a large percent of infections are in Hawaii.
-Chlamydia can cause gonorrhea.
How prevalent are STIs in the US?
-They are substantially prevalent in the US.
Why is the teen pregnancy rate so much higher in the US?
-Lack of sex ed and funding of abstinence programs.
-Highest of all developed countries.
What are the impacts of STIs and teen pregnancy rates?
Southern states have higher rates because of a lack of sex ed vs. the northern states.
What are benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby?
-Breast milk contains antibodies that help fight off bacteria and viruses.
-It lowers the risk of allergies and asthma.
-Babies have fewer ear infections, respiratory illness, and diarrhea.
-Helps prevent long term illness such as Crohn's disease and type one diabetes.
-Gives mom and baby stronger bones.
-Breastfed babies have better response to vaccines.
-Better healing post delivery for the mother.
-Fewer problems with weight for the baby.
What are the environmental impacts of formula feeding?
-Manufacturing of the packaging creates toxins.
-Uses paper, plastic, and tin which creates more waste.
-Producing artificial milk contributes leads to air pollution and requires energy to make.
-It is expensive to produce.
What impact does vaccine refusal have on public health?
-Not eradicating diseases
-People getting sick
-Bringing back polio
-Stopping herd immunity
What are common mental health disorders?
-Anxiety
-Depression
-Bipolar Disorder
-Schizophrenia
Current recommendation for sodium?
2300mg a day (some 1500)
What percent of Americans have sodium sensitivity?
25%
On average, how many miles does food travel from the farm to the grocery store?
1500 miles
What percent of americans take a supplement daily?
64%
Who should take vitamin and mineral supplements?
- People who don't absorb certain vitamins and minerals as well
-Some pregnant women (NOT ALL)
-Some elderly people (NOT ALL)
-Some vegans (B12)
Hyponatremia
When you consume too much water
Best evidence for acupuncture?
post-operative pain and nausea and chronic pain
How many Americans have used some type of alternative treatment?
34%
What does the U.S. rank in the world in life expectancy?
33rd
Why are generic drugs termed "abbreviated"
generally not required to include preclinical and clinical data. They must demonstrate that their product is equivalent
How many OTC drugs are available in America?
more than 300,000
How many years, on average, does it take from the beginning of a new drug investigation until the drug is available for consumers?
15 years
8. Why do drug manufacturers use approved compounds such as lactose or starch to bulk up tablets?
To dilute the medication because you can't take such a small amount.
How many will become pregnant with no use of method of birth control?
85%
How many of unplanned pregnancies are among adolescents?
89%
What percent of antibiotics are given to farm animals?
70%
Better Business Bureau
Is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization. It is dedicated to promoting good business practices and informing and protecting consumers.
Consumer Federation of America
Is a membership organization of nearly 300 nonprofit organizations and over 50 million individuals. It works to advance pro-consumer policy on a variety of issues before Congress, regulatory agencies, state legislatures, and the courts.
Consumers Union
Is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers; also maintains consumerreports.org.
AARP
Employs a variety of strategies to assist members in protecting themselves from fraud and deceptive practices.
National Consumers League
Is a private, nonprofit advocacy group representing consumers on marketplace and workplace issues. Their mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the US and abroad.
The Joint Commission
Is a leader in developing the highest standards for quality and safety in the delivery of health care, and evaluating organizations' performance based on those standards.
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